Games can make or break a shower. The best can break the ice and liven up the party. The worst can embarrass and bore. So, how can you avoid this?

First, a little research…
First, list the showers you’ve been to and the games you remember. Which did you like and dislike? Ask a few other gals to do the same. Don’t ask the bride because the games should be a surprise. Now, compare the games. Which games were played the most? Chances are everyone has played these games and are pretty sick of them. Avoid these overly popular games, unless you think no one minds playing them again and again. Bridal Bingo again? No thanks!

The Bride

Take into account her personality. If the bride is outgoing and loves the spotlight, find games that will make her the center of attention. A shy bride? Choose ones that will put the focus on the guests instead of the bride. An ‘anti-bride’ bride? Center games around the theme of the shower instead of bridal-type games. Ask the bride for her opinion without giving away the surprise. Some brides simply detest being enrobed in toilet paper! A movie buff may dig playing “Famous Couples.”

Guest List
Not all games are meant for all showers. Consider who will be attending the shower. Most brides would die of embarrassment if “Honeymoon Ad Libs” was played when her grandmother is at the shower! But, the same game would be hilarious with her sorority sisters. Don’t play ice-breaker games if the guests are already acquainted. No one wants to play a name game when they know everyone in the room.

Number of Guests
If it’s a large shower, avoid games where every guest shares their thoughts/feelings/best wishes. That could take hours if you have 30 guests! Many guests won’t know each other at a larger shower, so plan an icebreaker where guests are split into small groups. With smaller parties, you have more time for each guest to be in the spotlight and share their best wishes for the bride.

The Theme
A way to spice up shower games is to play up the theme. A cooking shower can have “Name that Spice” or “Gourmet Vocabulary”. A wine shower? A wine term quiz would be fun!

Timing is Everything!
Guests want time to visit, so don’t have games take up the entire shower. Plan for about 3 games, but be prepared to ditch one if you run out of time. One 20-minute game and two 5-10 minute games will fit into most schedules. Decide the best time to play the games. Play one game at the beginning of the shower to break the ice. That way, guests can enjoy meeting each other.

Ummm… “Honeymoon Topics”
Sure, little comments here and there about “the honeymoon” are fine and cause giggles, but sex-themed games and food may embarrass the bride or her guests. Save them for the bachelorette party. Grandmother Myrtle will be shocked to realize that the adorable “saxophone” cookies were…something else!

Memories!
Sometimes what’s missing from shower games is the reason the guests came in the first place…to celebrate the bride! Creating mementos personalize the party. Consider a “game” where the end result is a memento especially for the bride. A memory book, scrapbook, or hand-painted dishes are just a few ideas. What about having each guest create a scrapbook page?

Amy Dilling is the founder and owner of Perfect Parties to Go!, an online store and resource offering complete bridal and baby showers in a box.

When you are looking at the flower girl dresses, you are going to be a little surprised to how many different styles that are out there and even all the different colors that you are able to choose from. You are going to notice that you will be able to choose a flower girls dress that will match up to the other girls that are in the wedding party. That way they will feel, like they are part of the group and they will not feel like they are left out in the dust when every one is getting pictures taken.

When you choose a flower girl dress, you will want to have your flower girl with you so that you will know if they will look right in the flower girl dress that you chose for them. If you are thinking about a rainbow wedding you will even be able to choose flower girl dresses that will go along with the rainbow colors that you have chosen. No matter what the dress that you have chosen you will know that your flower girl dress is going to end up looking great on the little girl wearing it because it seem like no matter what flower girl dress they have on they make them all look great.

With all the different styles of flower girl dresses that are out there you will want to take your time to choose a dress that is going to match up to the wedding party and the flower girl perfectly so that you are going to have a great day. You are not going to want to get a flower girls dress that they are not going to be comfortable in because then they are going to want to take it off shortly after they get it on because they are not comfortable. That is why it is a good idea to have the flower girl with you when you are choosing a flower girls dress to wear in your wedding.

The flower girl dress is going to be worn more often once the wedding is over because they are made so that the little girl will be able to wear it more than once. Then you know that you are not wasting your money when you are buying a flower girl dress for a wedding day. You may even notice that there may be some little things that you are able to do to make it a little more versatile to the flower girl so that they will be more will to wear it in the wedding for the special day. Make sure that the flower girls dresses are going to be comfortable for the little girl and that they still will match up with all the other girls in the wedding party.

Kari Eriksson is an infopreneur and has discovered that flower girl dresses are very popular and came in many different forms and shapes. He has devoted two sites; http://www.flowergirl-dresses.info and http://www.flowergirldressesdiscounts.com to this topic.

When planning your wedding, ask yourself: why is there so much silk involved in a wedding? You know the answer as well as I do: Silk symbolized elegance. Silk has been around for literally thousands of years and has been used by people for ages for all sorts of purposes. When used in bulk and custom designed for a wedding dress, silk isn’t cheap. Let me restate that, silk is cheap when bought by the truckload from a mass manufacturer in China or somewhere else. But, by the time it’s styled and added to a fancy wedding dress, the resulting silk product can be costly.

When someone gets married, they want the wedding to be as fancy (and unfortunately for the person who is footing the bill, expensive) as possible. For that special woman, no expense should be spared. And believe me, the wedding caterers know this. They’ve seen thousands of couples come before you and they are professionals as sizing up how much money is likely budgeted for you wedding.

Silk flowers are another popular item found at weddings. Arranged properly, silk flowers can add a huge amount of beauty to any ceremony. In fact, there are many stores (likely online) that carry different types of silk flowers and silk flower arrangements for your wedding.

On top of that, many small custom providers of different silk flowers and plants can be found online. Say, you are having a Hawaiian themed wedding. Wouldn’t it be cool if there were silk palm trees and silk coconuts. Yes. It would. Now just convince whoever is paying for your wedding that these are integral parts to your wedding and you are all set.

Michael Welling is a contributing author at http://www.thesilksite.com The Silk Site has silk and silk flowers information.

Russian brides are the most popular type of mail order bride. However, when going into this type of market, there are most scams than honest deals. Many people turn to the Internet to find love. There are millions of online dating consultants and plenty of mail orders. However, how do you know that you are being scammed? Look for the following signs. If you can recognize any of them to your situation than you are most likely being scammed!

Well first, you should be caution with anyone online dating or brides. When you put your profile on site, you should let yourself go and place a picture online. Most of the time people only search pictures so if you’re serious, add a pic. If someone responses to your profile and claims to be in love at first sight, stand back.

There is no such thing, even if they do have a legitimate feeling about you, it’s not love! No one can fall in love to a profile. Next, think about the Russian’s picture. Did it look professional? If so, then don’t keep an interest because most Russian’s who are there for love or marriage, don’t get professional pics done. You should look at their income and guess their personality. If the picture contradicts, your impression of the woman, than it’s not the person or it’s a scam. You do have a possibility of getting an honest profile and done by professionals, but it won’t be model quality.

Once you get to know someone (a couple of responses), you should ask her to take a picture of herself in front of a landmark like the Kremlin or in her garden or something that will look like the Russian environment. You can possible trap the person early one by asking for more pictures. If the person is using pictures of someone else, she/he may forget what they sent you to begin with and then you can call them out if there are discrepancies.

Look at the letters; do they look like they are mass-produced? Is your name only placed in a couple places all the time? Also, pay attention to content. If you are never asked about your life, family, the city you live in and so on, then they aren’t interested in meeting you. Also, make your letters personally like your dog died or you took the long way home today and if you get no response to that than the letters are mass produced and it’s a scam. There are so many more things that you can pick out of the conversations or letters that will tell you it’s a scam. You shouldn’t allow yourself to be blind and specially look for some of these tips.

When it comes to Russian Brides, you must be careful and try to find any signs of a scam. It can be hard to judge someone whom you’ve become accustomed to lean on, but it must be done to protect your privacy, feelings, and bank account.

Want a romantic and traditional wedding favor that will commemorate your special day? Then look no further; candle wedding favors are a perfect fit. To evoke all the romantic feelings about marriage, candle wedding favors rekindle all the feelings of joy each time your guests light their candle favors. Who knows, perhaps when your guests light your candle in their home it will help create a magical, romantic night for them! What better way to invite the sense of wedding day romance into your guest’s lives than with candle favors?

The lighting of the unity candle has been a long-standing tradition in marriages. It signifies the union and joining of two hearts in one love. Candle wedding favors are a special way to extend this union. Your guests will be reminded each time they light your candle of both the love you share and your candle lighting ceremony.

With so many choices in the favor market today, there is a candle wedding favor that will suit every bride’s taste and budget. From traditional votives, to novelty candles, to personalized candle holders - candle wedding favors come in many shapes, sizes, and colors - there is sure to be one which will match your wedding perfectly. From red roses, to heart shaped candles, and even candle holders that can be refilled and re-used - traditional and beautiful, candles will be appreciated by all.

Whatever the theme of your wedding day, there will certainly be a candle favor to match it. There is no other favor that can compete with the special significance and symbolism of candle wedding favors. That is why candle wedding favors have been such a traditional wedding favor gift. Invite your guests to experience the romance candle wedding favors bring.

Every bride wants to look perfect on her wedding day. Selecting a dress that will make you look and feel great is an important first step. But what happens when you look in the mirror and don’t think you look quite as good as you could? When this happens it’s not uncommon for brides to try quick-fix diets to help them get in shape. Unfortunately, many dieting brides make fitness mistakes that not only prevent them from reaching their goals but also cause unnecessary stress and sometimes even illness. Those are two things no bride needs! Here are five of the most common diet mistakes as well as some tips to help you avoid them.

1. Too much, too late.

One of the most important things to remember if you are trying to lose weight is to start early. For example, don’t try to lose 20 pounds two months before the big day. The key is to plan ahead so that you can lose the weight (or just tone up) gradually. So if you’re dream-wedding day includes you being in great shape, then include fitness as a “to-do” on your overall wedding checklist. That way it will be a priority in your wedding planning.

2. Setting unachievable goals.

Many women get engaged and begin imagining themselves drastically thinner or more sculpted. Be realistic with yourself. If you’ve never been a size 6 in your life, then it is probably unrealistic to think you can magically transform just because you are getting married. And, do you really want to look so different on your wedding day that most people (including your fiancé) hardly recognize you?

3. Radical diets or fitness programs.

Brides typically are short on time and long on to-do lists. This leads many to try unhealthy fitness programs or starvation diets. Don’t be tempted by diets that promise quick, drastic results with little effort from you. You should avoid any programs that suggest taking “diet” pills or eating unbalanced meals (like eating only cabbage soup for a week). And, don’t be lured into trying dangerous things, like laxatives.

4. Not exercising.

It’s very easy for brides to say “I don’t have time to exercise” or “I’m too tired to exercise”. But diet and exercise should always go hand in hand. Consider them to be like yin and yang. Without activity your body can’t burn as many calories. If you are very short on time, try to exercise in small 10-minute bursts throughout the day. And, keep in mind that little things help too, like taking the stairs or parking at the outer edge of the mall parking lot. Plus, if you are tired from all of your planning, exercise will help give you back some energy.

5. Skipping Meals

It’s not uncommon to get caught up in your planning and then realize at 9 p.m. (as your head begins to ache) that you haven’t eaten a thing all day. While it may not be an uncommon scenario, it is unavoidable. Not only is skipping meals unhealthy, it can lead to binge eating. That often means eating very fattening foods and/or overeating all at once. To avoid this, try packing light snacks to keep on hand throughout the day. Good examples include carrot sticks, cheese strings, peanut butter on crackers, etc.

Getting in shape doesn’t have to be complicated and it doesn’t require a lot of time. If you are trying to lose weight or firm up before your wedding, below are some sample plans to help you get started. Keep in mind that the most important thing is for a bride to feel good about herself. And no matter what size or shape, all brides are beautiful on their wedding day!

Sample Exercise FITscription:

20 - 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise (3 - 5 time per week)

Example: 2-5 minutes of brisk walking, 2-5 minutes of jumping jacks (repeat for 20 - 30 minutes)

Sample Meal Plan:

Eat 5-7 small meals per day (meals should include protein, grains, vegetables, etc. to meet the food pyramid daily requirements)

Example: Small, grilled, skinless chicken breast

Slice of whole wheat bread

Slice of cheese

Mixed Vegetables

Glass of Water (2 or 3 would be even better)

About The Author

Lynn Bode is owner of http://www.workoutsforyou.com an Online Personal Fitness Training company. Workouts For You offers online exercise programs for weight loss, strength training, nutritional planning and race training. Personalized programs can be designed for all fitness levels.

The programs are customized to meet your individual needs and lifestyle (based on the extensive profile you provide when enrolling) and include a motivational accountability system and a huge library of exercise technique demos. You receive all the trainer benefits without the expensive price, and you can workout wherever and whenever you want.

To receive a FREE, no-obligation fitness evaluation, visit us at www.workoutsforyou.com. Need a quick gift –we provide gift certificate delivery within 24 hours of purchase.

info@workoutsforyou.com

You feel giddy all the time. The world has taken on a strange rosy luster. Nothing makes sense… and everything makes sense. And you have feelings more profound than you ever knew were possible to feel.

Is it some kind of dire illness?

No, it’s only Love with a capital “L.”

And the next letter is obviously Marriage, with a capital “M.”

You’re both trembling in your boots, but determined this is the right, the only choice. After all, isn’t that what people do? Like swans, humans around the world tend to bind ourselves to another for life. We make our forever vows and say the magic words, “I do,” then go off to make a practical life out of the dream. It’s just the way we are, and it works pretty well, especially to provide a nest for our children.

Inherent in the whole coming together process is the notion that the love we experience, the tsunami of sensation that swept us into marriage “till death do us part,” will last forever.

What’s the truth?

The truth is that, just as we humans do, Love changes its character over time. Are you the same person you were ten years ago? Of course not. And yet, in the most fundamental ways, you are.

It’s the same with your Love for each other. Marriages between two people who really adore each other change their character, but the original bond, the Love, remains… if it was real to begin with.

For Love to be real, the most important part of the recipe is that neither party presents himself or herself as someone they are not. Obviously, if this kind of subterfuge is engaged in, the lover has fallen in love with someone who does not exist. The Love that is the basis of the relationship and the marriage, therefore, is not real. That marriage is endangered.

Love, true Love, is an elastic thing. Its expression, over time, invariably becomes less overwhelmingly all-encompassing. We mellow into another phase, and that’s a good thing. Who could tremble in their boots for a lifetime? Who would want to?

Enter into a conscious, honest marriage, and you have a good chance of keeping your Love, for the rest of your lives, and beyond.

According to the Encarta Dictionary, love is an intense feeling of tender affection and compassion; a passionate feeling or romantic desire and sexual attraction. Erich Fromm made these comments:

Immature love says: I love you because I need you.’ Mature love says ‘I need you because I love you.’

In love the paradox occurs that two beings become one and yet remain two.

Love is union with somebody, or something, outside oneself, under the condition of retaining the separateness and integrity of one’s own self.

In the classic book, The Art of Loving, Erich Fromm writes that “To be loved, and to love, need courage, the courage to judge certain values as of ultimate concernand to take the jump and stake everything on these values.”

In Forrest Gump, the movie, Forrest expresses this in the famous line, “Jenny, I may be stupid, but I know what love is.”

So what is love?

In my mind, love is a marriage union between souls. It is profound positive feelings actualized in affectionate behaviors toward the love object. Note the Bible passage on love, 1 Corinthians 13.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Though discussing love, this scriptural pericope does not refer to feelings or emotions. Instead, it talks about attitudes, such as patience, and actions, such as not boasting. It describes the result of love. When you love, you are inspired to behave in certain caring ways. For example, if you love your partner, you will be motivated to do everything possible to promote his or her well being. If he or she is unusually weary some night, out of love, you may volunteer to perform a duty that he or she would otherwise be responsible for.

For all intent and purposes, there are three forms of love. The first is the Greek Eros and is used to designate erotic, romantic, physical love. It can be one of the peak pleasures in human experience if not abused and misused.

The Greeks also has a second definition of love, and that is Philia which is where the word philanthropy is derived. Philia means brotherly love. We all know Philadelphia as the city of brotherly love. Philia does not contain romantic love. Philia is the love you and I have for our parents, siblings, friends, family members, and so forth. It does not contain Eros.

The third definition of love is called Agape. Agape means unconditional love for someone. It means loving someone without expecting love in return. Parents can relate to this, especially a mother. Perhaps this may be a difficult concept to comprehend in today’s society because this type of love requires sacrifice and selflessness.

Agape is different from both Eros and Philia in that inherent in agape love is an overflowing altruism that seeks nothing in return. The end of agape is not the well-being of the self, but the well-being of the other. It is the type of love that characterized the non-violent philosophies of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.

In my experience, the one common mistake that many couples make is equating “true” love with Eros love only. Real love, I believe, requires all three types of love. Far too many relationships today are based on one type of love. If your relationship fails to include all three types of love, you may be mixing a recipe for disaster. When the first few years are past, one or two children have entered the scene, daily living becomes more difficult (and believe me, it will); and Eros love loses a little bit of its spice, most people bail out of relationships. So I hope you can appreciate the value of applying all three types of love in your relationship and marriage.

Eros love is essential to every relationship; philia love is equally important, and of course, agape love binds all three.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available soon.

You are welcome to visit AMEN Ministries: Your Soul’s Service Station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification or to browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall.

Blessings to all!